


The Young Wolf and the Lie

by traveler_spawn



Category: Destiny (Video Games)
Genre: Gen, Spoilers, season of the worthy
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-24
Updated: 2020-08-10
Packaged: 2021-03-03 07:34:32
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 4
Words: 4,826
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24347323
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/traveler_spawn/pseuds/traveler_spawn
Summary: A look at the aftermath of Rasputin's revelations at the Luna Bunker.
Relationships: Ana Bray & Guardian, Female Guardian - Relationship, Ghost & Guardian (Destiny), Original Ghost and Female Guardian, Saladin Forge & Female Guardian
Kudos: 33





	1. Aftermath

The air was cool inside _Moonlight_ as Selene padded along the hallway. A small kitchen had been added into a storage space inside the Cityhawk, complete with mini pantry and fridge. It was the former that was the Guardian’s destination, and Selene opened the door. Among the non-perishables and vacuum-sealed ready-to-eat meals was a bottle of vodka, picked up on a whim one day while she’d been shopping in the City. Grimly, Selene picked up the bottle. Shutting the door, she went to a cupboard and took out a glass, setting it down on the counter. Normally she didn’t drink. First, Light and liquor--despite what Titans and Hunters claimed--was generally not a good idea to mix. Second, with the medication she occasionally took, also not a good idea. Third, she was parked on Mars. Should the Hive or Cabal decide to start something, she needed her wits. With a sigh, Selene broke the bottle’s seal and untwisted the cap. She closed her eyes-  
  


_ The smell filled her nose, burnt polymer and the resin that still caked the Iron Ax in her hands. If she focused hard enough there was burnt flesh and blood too-no no no don’t focus on that, don’t focus on that-  
  
_

Selene’s eyes popped open.  
  


"Fuck this.” She muttered. Lifting the bottle to her lips, Selene took several healthy swallows. She was by herself, she didn’t need a glass. No need for social niceties. The vodka was first cold-and then burned, the heat warming her throat and belly. Just enough to blunt the edge of the knife that was currently against her brain. With a sigh, Selene left the kitchen and started to head back to her bunk. She’d crawl into bed, drink a little more, maybe the vodka could relax her enough so that she could sleep with no dreams--  
  


Then the hatch buzzer sounded, and Ana’s voice came over the intercom.  
  


_ Hey...Selene? _ The Warlock paused, giving the speaker a deadpan stare.  _ Are you...are you there? _

\--------------  


She’d left Luna like a bat out of hell. Not that Ana could blame Selene. Being the one who had dealt with the Pyramid and the Garden and if what Jinju had told her was true, dealing with her Ghost being Darkness-possessed...  
  


Rasputin hadn’t been much help either-constantly barraging her with worried beats and hues of violet--until Ana had told him to give the Guardian some space, he’d dropped the literal equivalent of a Warsat on her. Or if she looked back in Selene’s history...a ticking time bomb. With a sigh, the Hunter shifted position in front of the hatch. Jinju was snuggled into the hood of her cloak, eye fixed on the door.  
  


“This is a bad idea.”  
  


“I just want to check on her, that’s all.”  
  


“In the history of bad ideas, what just happened several hours ago tops every single bad idea known in the entire Sol system.”  
  


“Look, Rasputin was just…” Ana trailed off. Normally she’d have some rationale, some defense, but now she couldn’t find the words...let alone try to figure out where to begin. She’d been off kilter ever since the incident out at Uranus, and starting to seriously question if perhaps her past should just be left alone. Jinju felt her insecurity, and chirped in comfort. Ana closed her eyes at the feel of her Ghost’s shell rubbing against her neck, and sighed.  
  


“Alright, I’ll…” She trailed off as the hatch opened. Light spilled from the doorway. Uncaring of the cold--Mars did get chilly at night--Selene came into view. She was dressed only in a sleep tank-top and pajama pants, auburn hair pulled back into a messy bun. Her eyes narrowed as she took in Ana and Jinju, and then she turned around.  
  


“Come inside.” Ana took in the warlock quickly-down to the vodka bottle in one hand. Selene’s Old Russian accent also was starting to thicken. Ana knew from past experience that it meant the Guardian was either upset or angry...but considering the liquor, it was probably a safe bet to say that Selene was upset. Stamping her boots on the step, the Hunter ducked inside.  
  


“Were you going to bed?”   
  


“In the process.” Selene answered, pressing the button to close Moonlight’s hatch. Ana pushed her hood back, and Jinju floated up into the air.  
  


“Where’s Ozy?” She asked.  
  


“Recharging.” Selene answered. “Luna scares him. Badly enough that when we leave, he has to rest and recover from anxiety.” Jinju buzzed, glancing at Ana, then at Selene.   
  


“Is it alright if I go and see him? Just cuddles.” Ghost-cuddling was a form of comfort between the drones--much like how kittens would pile together up for comfort. Ana watched as a faint smile twitched Selene’s lips.   
  


“He’s in his basket.” She said.   
  


“Behave yourself!” Ana quipped, then smirked as Jinju buzzed rudely at her. The Ghost headed down the hallway, and Selene turned her attention back to Ana.  
  


“I’d offer, but I’ve already put my lips on this.” She said, holding up the vodka. Ana considered the bottle, and then shrugged.   
  


“What are germs between Guardians?” She asked. Selene smirked, then held out the bottle.   
  


“You looked like you needed this when I returned to Mars.” She commented. Ana exhaled, taking the bottle.  
  


“You have no idea.” She muttered, taking several swigs of the liquor. The burn helped displace some of the Martian and emotional chill, and Ana exhaled gustily. She took in Selene once more, augmented eyes taking in her skin color, body language, even the condition of the clothing she wore.   
  


“Big Red got a little...worried.” She began. “After you left. I told him you just needed a little space to process what he’d told you.” Ana paused, considering her next words.  
  


“I don’t he...considered the fact that you…” Selene reached for the bottle as Ana trailed off. It was on the tip of her tongue to snap back rather nastily, because how was the hunter  **certain** that the Warmind hadn’t meant his actions? But then the past several months had been an exercise in Rasputin seemingly being hell-bent on proving he wasn’t...some homicidal A.I. with an arsenal of weapons ready to kill anyone and everything--the Iron Lords being the biggest example. And if she let her thoughts wander to that hidden room…. The coffin with the hologram carefully tucked inside, holding the shotgun--which had been well-cared for. Wordlessly Selene took another swallow of vodka, and then set the bottle down.   
  


“I have no fucking idea of how to report this.” She said bluntly. Ana suppressed a wince, instead reaching for the bottle. What better thing to do when one was staring down the barrel of a whole lot of fuckery?   
  


“I wish I knew what to tell you.” Selene exhaled, tilting her head back.  
  


“Saladin wasn’t happy three years ago.” She said. She was putting it mildly, her mentor had been  _ furious.  _ But after he’d calmed down, the older Risen thankfully had at least seen Selene’s point of view. Mars had been a perfect clusterfuck, and really..there hadn’t been any other way to react. Rasputin in the hands of Xol and the Hive would have been a nightmare to the just-recovering City and the Guardians. And as long as the Iron Lord and the Warmind never met... _ **never, ever, ever under any circumstances and not even if the Traveler itself ordered it-**  
  
_

He didn’t know about Outbreak Perfected either--or it’s former incarnation, Outbreak Prime. Saladin’s world would be much happier without that knowledge.  Ozy had wondered aloud once who would the Titan have murdered first, Shiro-4 or her?  
  


“Do you think he had any idea?” Ana’s question brought Selene back to reality. “About...Felwinter?”  
  


“I don’t have any fucking clue about Felwinter and his gun is currently taking up space in my locker.” Selene retorted. She saw the Hunter wince at her tone, but honestly the Warlock was too tired and emotionally compromised to care. Ozy’s fear also still lingered in the back of her thoughts--with how close their bond was, his emotions bled into her and she was the one who expressed them. With a sigh, Selene closed her eyes and tipped her head back.  
  
  
“I’m not good company, Ana.” Her voice was soft. “Not...not tonight. Today brought back everything from Site Six-the Iron Tomb.” No response came from the other woman, and Selene opened her eyes.  
  


“I can still see, hear, smell and feel everything that was in there.” She whispered. Ana watched as the younger Guardian turned her head to gaze at her. A bleak look was on her features, and her Arc-blue eyes were haunted.  
  
  
“He was the first one who attacked me.”

  
  


\-------

  
  


_ The comm’s dead, and Ozy’s panic is a rising tide inside her that will paralyze her if she doesn’t keep moving. But then she hears it-a high pitched clicking, whirring, squealing-the sounds of an Exo that had been badly damaged. The sounds grow louder, and Selene looks up to see something  _ **_throw_ ** _ itself at her with unnatural speed. Too late does she begin to move, and something tackles her and they both fall to the ground. What looms over her is a shell of an Exo. Red nanite sparks pop out of open holes in his head, SIVA-threads protrude from his optics like tentacles, and his vocalizer continually stutters in gibberish and demented electronic squealing. _

_ She remembers hearing a woman scream and scream until somehow, it finally stopped.  _ _ Later on Ozy would tell her that it was her, that she’d screamed so much while fighting that her voice broke.  _

"He kept lunging at me." Selene whispered. "His mouthlights kept flashing like he was trying to say something." She closed her eyes. "I'm grateful that...he didn't, Jolder's words already linger in my nightmares enough as it is."  
  


"Selene." Ana whispered. She didn't know what to say. The Warlock sighed, bowing her head and putting her hands to her face.  
  


"What do I do?" She whispered. "What should I do? How do I tell Saladin that the death of his friends...or rather all save for one...was a _mistake_?"


	2. A Question (1)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rasputin has a memory of the Golden Age, and the Guardian asks a question.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (teeny-tiny bit of theorycrafting. I ask your indulgence.) 
> 
> \----------------

The Hive and Cabal fighting is especially fierce today, with the latter attempting to break into his bunker. Scavengers, trying to steal whatever they can before fleeing. Their actions are more desperate now, as they know that the City _knows_ of their plan, and look at what it’s resulting in…

Rasputin orders his frames into combat, his private army restored by action taken by Ana sometime before. He doesn’t have to worry about losses, he can create more-and unlike the Hive and Cabal, he won’t get tired. At least not in this regard. But then he picks up on fearful chatter from both quarters—soon followed by an all too familiar panic and chaos.

 ** _She’s_** fighting. Rasputin orders a select group of drones into action, never mind that he can pick up on the unmeasurable Light that is the Guardian on his sensors, and soon he sees what the Risen is doing. The Guardian is fighting her way through the chaos towards him. The Warmind immediately directs more frames to go and support her. Not that she’ll need them—though she might. Something he’d learned from Ana, and his own deep realizations—fighting together was a greater victory than fighting alone.  
  


\---------

  
It’s well over an hour before she makes it to his inner sanctum. Rasputin watches as the Guardian pauses, hands lifting to her head to remove her helm. Her Ghost appears [warning: high probability of **_that song_** playing but he would trust the Guardian to silence the annoying little drone—and Ana had repeatedly told him it was bad manners to drop a Warsat on someone. Technically.] The Guardian starts in surprise as a frame approaches her, offering to hold the helm for her. She and her Ghost share a look, and the drone nods-before chirping and burrowing into the crook of his Risen’s neck—a reassuring gesture. Rasputin can see that despite Selene’s calm exterior her stress levels are still high, and her body is tense despite the surroundings…even more so than the norm. Something wrapped in black cloth with what looks like a golden embroidery pattern is strapped to her back, and the Warmind _knows_ what it is, he doesn’t have to even **scan** it. Just as how he knew the reason for Selene’s coming, he’d anticipated it since the events of his bunker on Luna. Rasputin cuts his feed away from his guards, watching as Selene enters, walking down the first gantry. He sees her fingers flex-and her throat bob, anxiety on her features before she closes her eyes, working on steadying her breathing. As such, when she approaches the final doors to his core and they open, Rasputin sees the façade of the Warlock. Her face is impassive, her body relaxed but alert. There is no sign of her Ghost—and Rasputin can feel the little drone’s firewalls [not that they’d do much good against him] in that strange ménage of Light/human nerves and soul/computer programming that make up the Guardian/Ghost neural net. A strand of auburn hair has escaped the careful bun that Selene always has her hair pulled back in-but it doesn’t break the illusion, it seems to somehow enhance it. With a pang Rasputin sees that she’s dressed in the Seraph robes he’d selected and crafted for her—they suit her, she is Russian after all—and it pulls up an old memory file—

**********

_“Will you please stop with the silent, judgmental disapproval? Do you want me to go or not?” Siddhartha turns to glare into the mirror, Rasputin could feel irritation sparking in his other self/son’s processor._

_“Not that you need to see the coronation through my eyes anyway...” He resumes dressing himself, pulling at a sleeve. The Seraph robes are freshly laundered, but like all clothing, even on Exos, they need to be worn to be fully broken in. The shoulder boards on the robes are gold with blue edging, two stars with the same color pattern embroidered on. Siddhartha’s ‘outside’ disguise is that of a lieutenant general in the Russian Air Forces. It’s no secret among some of the higher-ups in Russia, that Clovis Bray has offered select men and women their own version of immortality in Exo bodies—along with their continued freedom. Or so they think…at least on the freedom part. Rasputin transmits concern—he feels its valid, Siddhartha would be a little too close to comfort to the Warmind’s handlers._

_“I’m not staying for the celebration afterward—” Siddhartha’s optics narrow as Rasputin pulls up a calendar, flashing a date in bright loud hues of red. There had been plans—the new Czar was attending a performance of the The Firebird, and look who had a ticket and was at least two boxes down from the soon-to-be new ruler?_

_“Pietor gave me that ticket. You told me never to say no to him.” Siddhartha reaches for his ushanka, carefully fitting it over his head. Rasputin transmits his version of a parental sigh of disapproval and guilt, but Siddhartha shoves back, he’s not going to be swayed by that…  
  
  
***********_

Rasputin is pulled from the memory as Selene comes to a halt at the end of the walkway. Wordlessly she unstraps the precious burden on her back, holding it in one arm as she starts to untie the wrapping. The Warmind catches glimpse of a familiar-looking stylized tree before the fabric pools to the ground. Now free and held in Selene’s hands much like an offering, Felwinter’s Lie gleams under the dull orange and red lighting of Rasputin’s outer core. The Guardian looks up at Rasputin. Her face may be stoic, but her eyes-there’s questions and pain in the Arc-blue gaze.

“ **Pochemu ty dal mne eto?** _”_ She asks. _Why did you give me this?_


	3. A Question (2)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rasputin answers the Guardian's question, and remembers Site 6.

The question hangs in the air. 

“ **Pochemu ty dal mne eto?** _”_

_Why did you give me this?_

Again (it’s been happening for a while) the Warmind finds itself grappling with new ideas, new processes. Avoidance of difficult subjects has always been Rasputin’s preferred tactic. But more and more he finds himself processing, having to speak-to defend his actions, only to realize that he cannot truly justify them. Yes, at the time they were logical, they were sound. But Rasputin is realizing that he has-no, is changing. And like on Luna…he _needs_ to speak.

Reaching out with an electronic query towards the annoying drone for translation-he wants to call upon Ana but Rasputin finds himself…hesitant to reach out to her- the Warmind watches as Selene’s Ghost chirps in surprise. There’s wariness, and an odd firewall of programming and Light around it’s processor. Rasputin repeats the query-he just wants a translator. This earns him a suspicious stare from the drone. Irritation spikes in the Warmind. But he holds his peace, and Selene’s Ghost relents-sending back an acknowledgement. That done, Rasputin turns his full attention on Selene. 

**Ya chuvstvoval, chto on zakhochet, chtoby eto bylo u tebya.**

“I felt he would want you to have it.” The Ghost translates.

**I eto tozhe spasibo.**

“And…it is a thank-you as well.” Selene frowns.

 ** _“Spasibo?”_** She repeats. “Why are you thanking me?” To that, Rasputin does not immediately answer. Distractions-tempting distractions are presenting themselves. The Hive and Cabal are becoming annoying again outside his bunker, the program he’d created specifically to observe Selene has picked up again on that odd mix of accents she has—Central and Kazakhstani Russian, but it’s having a harder time trying to narrow down the British-- 

His son’s shotgun gleams under the red-strobe lights.

**Vy osvobodili yego.**

“You…freed him.” Ozy repeats. Selene tilts her head slightly in confusion—before the statement’s meaning sinks in. Rasputin watches the Guardian’s reaction. Selene’s pupils dilate in shock as her body temperature drops suddenly. She grips the shotgun as if it’s a lifeline, and her Ghost draws back towards her. Horror is radiating off the tiny drone—there’s another distraction, Rasputin can see their neural net reaction, how one feeds into the other…

**_SIVA khotela by sokhranit' ikh tela zhivymi. Ya…ne mogu govorit' ob ostal'nom._ **

“SIVA would—did, keep their bodies alive. I…cannot speak for the rest.” 

But…Rasputin could. Stories of lingering spirits, human ghosts—they abounded in his memory banks. It was said his namesake had cursed the noble family he’d served with his dying breath. The Guardians themselves—were they not spirits tied by a spark of Light to their bones, awaiting the Gardener’s drones? He was lying by omission, something that Selene would surely pick up upon. 

_~consume enhance replicate~._

Eat, intensify, duplicate.

\----------

_He’d hijacked the feed of the drone that was following Selene. The City used such things-sending the machines alongside the Guardians, it was how they could monitor their life-signs, their Ghosts, their Light, data on the enemy, the area… Rasputin sees the three bodies hanging from the ceiling and urges the drone he’d sent in to move faster._

_“Entering self-destruct.” The Ghost announces. Rasputin watches as Selene grips her rifle. Behind her the drone finally slips in and scurries off to the side, but then-_

_“What’s happening?!” The Ghost sounds panicked. SIVA nanites have come to life, swarming around the first body hanging from the ceiling. Rasputin analyzes the drone’s feed, recognizing the scanned circuitry. It’s the body of an Exo, programs onlining-_

**_My son!_ **

_Siddhartha -it’s Siddhartha, its’ not his shell, it’s Siddhartha -garbles out something that the Warmind can’t translate-it’s his voice and a human woman’s--his body flying towards the ceiling. The Ghost vanishes, and one of the axes used by the Iron Lords plummets to the ground. Rasputin watches through the drone’s optics as Selene rushes forward to grab it-bad move, wrong, no, no, no-!_

_With an electronic scream Siddhartha crashes down. Selene just barely gets out of the way in time-but then she’s sent flying as the Exo tackles her. The two roll over and over in a bed of SIVA tendrils. Rasputin orders the drone closer-he can’t get any data from the other drone, the feed’s cut out._

_Then he hears the high-pitched, terrified scream of a woman. Seconds later it’s cut off—and the drone gets in range. Sensing this new threat, Siddhartha spins about-and Rasputin sees for the first time, the full horror of what he’d done. The clothing on Siddhartha's body is in tatters. Threads of SIVA snake and twitch from his optic-holes, with more wrapped around his neck, lower right arm and left shoulder. Both arms are grossly overextended, bunches of SIVA tendrils knitted upon the metal skin like muscles. More of the red nanites pop and crackle from holes in Siddhartha’s cranium. On his back is a small generator shaped like an obelisk-and when the Exo opens his mouth, Rasputin sees more SIVA threads. The noises Siddhartha makes are electronic squeals and gibberish. Behind him is Selene, her neck twisted at an unnatural angle, no sign of her Ghost—_

_He remembers an old communication line, suddenly coming to life after centuries upon centuries of dormancy-_

_“Father?”_

**_MysonmysonI’msorryI’msorrymyboylookatwhattheydidtomyboylookatwhatIdidtomyboy_ **

_Behind Siddhartha -the drone’s bio-scanner screams an alert as Selene’s body jerks, Light engulfing it. Her heart goes from flatline to racing in milliseconds, and Siddhartha jerks around, SIVA picking up on the Light-surge. The Exo lashes out with a gout of fire at the prone woman, who scrambles out of the way. Rasputin’s drone scrambles for the relative safety of an alcove, immunization program in overdrive as the nanites begin to swarm it, trying to feed._

_\--------------_

**Ya byl zol**

“I was angry.”

**Ya ne eto imel v vidu.**

“I didn’t mean it.”

**Ya dumal ... on byl opasen.**

“I thought…he was a danger.”

**Ya ne ponimal...on ...prosto pytalsya pomoch'... tem, kogo ya poterpel.**

“I didn’t realize…he was…just trying to help…those I failed.”

Selene’s eyes were closed, her fingers still wrapped around the shotgun.

**S tekh por ya zhivu, znaya o yego stradaniyakh.**

“I have lived with the knowledge of his suffering since then.”

**Ya khotel skazat' yemu, chto sozhaleyu.**

“I’ve wanted to tell him I was sorry.”

**Ya khotel uslyshat' yego rasskazy o yego opyte v etom novom mire.**

“I’ve wanted to hear his stories about his experiences in this new world.”

**No nikogda ne budu.**

“But I never will.” Selene opened her eyes, looking down at the shotgun. A heavy silence hung in the control room for several minutes before Rasputin spoke again.

**Ya dumayu, ty by yemu ponravilsya.**

“I think he would have liked you.” Ozy translated. Selene doesn’t answer. Silently she gathers up the cloak, gently wrapping up the gun. Rasputin doesn’t press, silently watching as Guardian and Ghost go back the way they came, Selene carrying the shotgun in her arms. Memories whisper along the edges of the Warmind’s neural net—

_“Father?”_

~consume enhance replicate~.

_“It’s Siddhartha.”_

~consume enhance replicate~.

_“I just want to- “_

~consume enhance replicate~.


	4. A Warmind's Secrets

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Guardian and Ghost visit Vostok, on the trail of Rasputin's secrets...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (directly pulled from quest of the same name)
> 
> \--------

Sneaking into Vostok was much harder than Selene had bargained for. The observatory was now officially a match ground for the Crucible and Iron Banner. She and Ozy had to wait two days for it to drop off the rotating battle-maps for Crucible and figure out a hack into the security feeds so they could roam about freely. Then it was a matter of mapping out Rasputin’s coordinates **_precisely_** , because Vostok was still next to the Irons Temple, which was a hub of activity. All Selene would need was some curious Guardian or Shiro-4/Tyra/Saladin spotting her walking around…

  
\-------

  
 _This is where I’ve getting the weird readings from._ Ana’s voice crackled to life in Selene’s ear as the Warlock materialized into existence. Overhead, Moonlight quickly sped up and away to a low-Earth orbit. 

_There’s old Rasputin data associated with a few coordinates on this mountain. And I mean **old**._

“Rasputin possibly being on the mountain is why we wanted to wait on doing this.” Ozy declared, snuggled into the furry ruff of Selene’s robes. Selene grunted in assent, making sure her rifle was loaded.

“How old are we talking about, Ana?” She asked, beginning to run. Ozy was feeding the coordinates directly to the sensorium HUD in her helmet. 

_Dark Age._ Selene’s eyes widened. _Huh…_

“The _Dark Age_?” She repeated, hurrying into the maze of rusted buildings and exposed stone.

 _I didn’t think he was active after the Collapse._ Ana replied, her tone thoughtful.

“I didn’t think he could do anything, period! Aside from…well, Site 6 and killing the Guardians the City sent after him.” Selene countered. 

“Or at least, not do a lot until we got the array up and running.” Ozy added.

 _See what you can find._ Ana ordered.

\-------

The first set of coordinates led to a broken drone in one of Vostok’s courtyards. With a grumble Ozy left the warmth of the coat to scan the battered machinery, feeding the data back to Ana.

_There’s a record here of Rasputin executing an order to deploy assault frames. A whole army of them. But the target was a single Exo._

“What?!” Selene and Ozy both exclaimed at the same time. 

_Why would he need all of this for just one?_

“Did the Exo like…supremely piss him off or something?” Ozy asked. 

“Maybe a Warlord who either got into or did a lot of damage to one of his bunkers?” Selene offered. 

  
\-------  
  
The second location was in a gatehouse that in the past, had been the point of entry for ski-lifts heading to another part of the mountain. Selene knelt, fingers reaching out to brush against a familiar-looking set of triangles. 

“Rasputin tech?” She whispered. Ozy floated over the aged setup, shell expanding as he scanned it with his Light. A few minutes later, Ana’s voice came over the comm.

_There’s a Warmind intelligence transcript associated with this spot. It references SIVA. But it…_

“It what?” Selene prompted. 

_It doesn’t make sense to me._ Frustration was evident in Ana’s voice. _From what I knew, the Iron Lords went after SIVA themselves._

“They did, yes.” Selene confirmed. She rose to her full height, Ozy floating back into her coat-collar. 

_Felwinter wanted to use it to build up the City. And I thought Rasputin reprogrammed SIVA to attack them when they entered the vault. But this says he gave SIVA a new directive long before that._

“…A new directive?” Selene repeated. An uneasy feeling was beginning to make itself known in her stomach. It wasn’t just her; she could feel the razor-sharp prickles that was Ozy’s own anxiety beginning to manifest in her mind.

 _He was using it…_ Ana was hesitant. _As bait._

“Bait?” Ozy echoed. 

_The Iron Lords didn’t go after SIVA on their own…_

“Traveler.” Selene whispered. Memories of the SIVA Crisis, of those months at the Iron Temple and the Plaguelands flashed through her mind.

_Rasputin led them to it._

\------------

  
The final set of coordinates led to what looked like a broken communication station some yards away from the gatehouse. Trying to ignore the now thorny ball of anxiety in her stomach and the dark memories tugging at her mind, Selene focused on Ozy, who had just finished scanning the broken device.

 _I’m picking up a transcript of an old communication order. Rasputin sent it out to his subminds._ Ana sounded like her normal self again, but Selene could pick up on the faint undertones of worry in the Hunter’s voice. Not that she could blame her.

_He identified a threat in Old Russia._

“The Exo, maybe?” Selene ventured. 

_It looks like there was a data breach of some kind. I don’t know what it was, but he threw out a lot of firepower. Dropped a Warsat right on top of it._

“Isn’t that his normal answer for anything that bothers him?” Ozy grumbled. 

_Maybe it was his initial response to the Iron Lords heading for the vault?_ Ana offered.

“Why would he do that, if he was trying to lure the Iron Lords there in the first place?” Selene responded. She inhaled deeply, trying to stay calm as her Ghost burrowed into her coat’s collar again. Memories of Site 6 were looming, threatening to pull her under.

“Ana, something about this is very, very off.” 

_I know, I know! I…_ Ana trailed off. A communication request sprung to life on Selene’s HUD, with Rasputin’s symbol next to it. Selene watched as from Mars, Ana opened the request and started to go through the enclosed code.

_…He wants you to go to the Luna Bunker._

“Luna?” Selene repeated. Dread filled her-but it wasn’t just her, it was Ozy too. The Moon was a place of nightmares and pain now, and it was only required duty that made her and Ozy return.

 _He wants to speak to you there. About…_ Ana trailed off before continuing. _About what you saw here. At Vostok._


End file.
